Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method of providing electrical energy harnessed from electrical current pulses. Specifically, the apparatus relates to the use of an electric pulse motor and an electromagnetic generator to generate electric power.
Description of the Related Art
An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most motors operate through the interaction between an electric motor's magnetic field and winding currents to generate forces within the motor. A pulse motor uses width modulation of each pulse to control rotation speed of the pulse motor. On the other hand, conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy is generally done by an electric generator. Generally, an electric motor and an electric generator are independent devices and a user cannot use a motor as a generator, or use a generator as a motor.
Conventional flywheel rotor systems are commonly used for energy storage and electrical power converting and regeneration by coupling with a separate electrical generator. They are also used for mechanically smoothing electrical power output. However, flywheel systems have not been developed to generate electrical power directly and in large quantity.
Electromagnets have been used together with electric motors and electric generators to generate and store electric power. An electromagnet generally consists of a coil of insulated wire wrapped around a magnetic iron core. The iron core can be made of a ferromagnetic material to increase the magnetic field created. The magnetic iron core concentrates the magnetic flux of the magnetic field and makes the electromagnet a more powerful magnet.
Electric motors coupled with electromagnets have the problems of generating dragging forces on the rotors of the motors as permanent magnets interacting with iron cores of the electromagnets. The dragging forces make the rotors difficult to move or start up. Flywheel-like electrical motors or generators usually only have one rotor with a rotating shaft, or several rotors that spin on the same direction, which cause “precession” problem of the rotating shaft. The precession is a change in the orientation of the rotational axis of a rotating body. The precession can cause shaking of the shaft, which in turn can produce noises and abrasive wear of the shaft and support. The precession can also cause the rotors to be less efficient. Therefore, there is a need for a novel method and apparatus to use a flywheel electromagnet system to drive a rotor on a shaft and generate large amount of electrical power.